A Misty Night had been placed on a mount with a thick amount of adhesive paste. Over time, the glue had discolored and cracked. The first step was to remove the gouache from the acidic mount. Through a lengthy soak with targeted chemistry, we were able to soften the adhesive enough so that we could very carefully remove it with our fingers and a sponge. To neutralize the acids we used another chemical bath to deacidify the gouache. Blotters were then used to flatten and dry the artwork. This also drew-out the discoloration that we were able to correct with in-painting, matching the colors to original, and thus complete the restoration.

James Gozzard (1888 – 1950) was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and is known as a painter and illustrator in both oil and watercolor, principally of landscapes of the English countryside. He usually signed his work “J W Gozzard,” his middle name being Walter.

He became a prolific illustrator and his work was reproduced in a variety of formats, including postcards and art prints by Rosenstiels. Many of his paintings were published as prints, both in black-and-white and in color, particularly in the years up until the First World War.

Gozzard also painted under the pseudonym “F Arnold,” and the career he established as a published artist brought him some considerable success, partly as a result of his very precise and careful style, which made his work suitable for publishing in the days before advanced machinery and technology made almost any kind of reproduction possible.

Gozzards name today survives principally on the strength of his rural landscapes and moonlit scenes. He died in 1950.

Pre-treatment

After removal of thick adhesives and de-acidification

In-painting

In-painting

In-painting

This wonderful etching from Eduard Manet (1832 – 1883) Man with Jug (Le Buveur d’Eau ou la Regalade) has a few issues going on with it. As is often the case with older works, harmful masking tape was used to adhere it. In this case the damage is more than usual. Around the mat window masking tape was also used, in addition to the usual portions along the outer edges. There is a considerable amount of acid damage in varying stages, which was accelerated by sun damage. Due to the mats used–there were three–different portions of the etching were subject to different amounts of light. Direct sunlight acted as a catalyst for the acid compounds to burn the paper. The good news is that we think the paper is an early Rives paper, which is a French paper and of very good quality, but is laid and linen. The quality should help the condition of the paper rebound once we treat for acid damage.

To fit the etching into the original frame the bottom of the paper was folded. This left a crease and a severe amount of burning. Though the damage could be beyond our control, we will make every effort to save this area. Stay tuned for more . . .

A French painter, Edouard Manet was one of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects, and is considered to have been a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.

In 1850 after serving in the merchant marines, Manet entered the studio of Thomas Couture, studying until 1856. The Old Masters influenced him, particularly Velazquez and Goya.

Throughout his oeuvre Manet painted modern day life, yet many of his paintings have deeper elements than their initial impressions of simple and realistic. His work seems to mimic the contradictions and lack of perspective of himself and Paris during his working career. Always controversial, Manet sought to record the days of his life using his own unique vision. From beggars, to prostitutes, to the bourgeoisie he sought to be true to himself and to reproduce “not great art, but sincere art.”

Edouard Manet died in Paris on April 30, 1883.

Fleur-de-lis watermark shown on reverse.